BY THE NUMBERS: 5 – Atlanta’s current winning streak in the 35-game series. Carolina’s last win in the series came at home by a 28-19 score in 2009. Atlanta will be seeking to match its longest win streak in the series; The previous 6-game winning streak lasted from 2000-02.

PANTHERS OFFENSIVE GAME PLAN: Like always, the Panthers will try to establish the run, though the 35-carry, 199-yard effort in their first meeting was the second-highest this year for the team. In team history, having 30 or more carries in a game has resulted in a 95-20 record. That includes a 8-2 mark against the Falcons, with both of those losses coming at the Georgia Dome.

PANTHERS DEFENSIVE GAME PLAN: In their last meeting, which featured Atlanta’s dramatic late-game comeback, the Panthers sacked Matt Ryan seven times. One of Ryan’s strengths has been in starting and finishing fast. Since 2008, Atlanta leads the NFL in opening possession scoring (217) and is fifth in two-minute scoring (99 points).

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Panthers defensive Charles Johnson had a career-high 3 1-2 sacks in the last game against Atlanta. He’ll be matched against sixth-year tackle Sam Baker, who blocked for Falcons QB Matt Ryan in last week’s career-high 411-yard passing performance in the victory over New Orleans….

DeAngelo Williams made his first start since October in last week’s loss in Kansas City due to Jonathan Stewart’s injured ankle. Williams responded with 67 yards (second-highest total this season). He had 49 yards on 11 carries with one TD against the Falcons in their first meeting. Can he do that much or more this time?...

Cam Newton grew up in the Atlanta suburb of College Park and idolized former Falcons’ quarterback Michael Vick. He’s now 0-3 against Atlanta and will no doubt be seeking a breakthrough as well as his 10th career victory; Newton is currently 9-19 all-time as Panthers’ starting quarterback….

Roddy White had eight catches for 169 yards, two touchdowns and the 59-yard desperation heave from Ryan that set up the Falcons’ winning field goal in the first meeting. Can Captain Munnerlyn or Josh Norman slow him down?...

Michael Turner leads the Falcons in rushing with 675 yards this season. His season-high? A record-breaking 103-yard effort against Carolina in the first meeting. It gave him 27 100-yard games in his Falcons’ career – breaking Gerald Riggs’ franchise record.

NOTABLE: Gastonia’s Lamar Holmes, the first player drafted by a NFL team from Hunter Huss High School, has yet to play in a regular season game. But the 6-foot-6, 333-pound rookie third-round pick out of Southern Mississippi has been on the active roster in the last two games. Could he make his NFL debut in this homecoming trip?...

A loss today would ensure a losing record for the Panthers against their division rivals for the third straight season. Carolina went 0-6 in 2010, 2-4 in 2011 and are 1-3 this season with the Atlanta game and the Dec. 30 regular-season finale at New Orleans left on the schedule….

Cam Newton’s wondrous running talents have rarely paid off for wins in the first 28 games of his NFL career; Carolina is only 2-7 in games in which he leads the Panthers in rushing. The two wins? At home against New Orleans (13 carries, 71 yards, 1 TD) and at Philadelphia (14 carries, 52 yards, 2 TDs) this season….

The Panthers have committed 74 penalties this season. The team leaders? Rookie offensive guard Amini Silatolu and defensive lineman Greg Hardy with six apiece. The offense has 29 penalties, the defense 31 and special teams 13….

Will Carolina ever win a coin flip? The Panthers are now 0-13 this season, having lost all 12 opening kickoff flips and their lone overtime flip before a loss to Tampa Bay. Atlanta gets to call heads or tails on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Atlanta 31, Carolina 21. Given that perhaps the best effort of the season for the Panthers came in a loss at 11-1 Atlanta, one has to imagine Carolina will battle the Falcons competitively. Still, Atlanta is playoff-bound while Carolina is likely auditioning for its next coach in the final four games of the year.